Emersons Herbal Remedies
by mykcooper
Summary: Merlin Emerson awaits his promised "great destiny" while running an herbal shop. Unfortunately the Pendragon Corporation has different plans.


A/N: This is my first fanfic EVER! I haven't written anything in years. That said be gentle, I'm definitely rusty at the whole putting words into sentences thing. But really, if its crap let me know so I don't waste any more time continuing this. I am however very willing to see this through to whatever as yet undetermined end there is should anyone want to read.

Merlins iPhone beeped loudly at him, signifying it was time for him to wake up. For once he was ahead of the game, already completely awake, and immediately turned it off and got out of bed. He was overwhelmingly excited for his day today. The small shop he owned selling herbal remedies was at the start quite exciting, his baby. He'd spent several years after college wandering from one job that he hated to the next. Gaius, his onetime professor, turned life coach had always helped him along the way offering sage advice. Be it a roof over his head when he lost his job at the coffee shop and could no longer afford rent, or a reference when he made a brief stab at an office job. Usually though he would just remind him that he was destined to do something great. "Merlin," he would drawl, "I know the path seems difficult now, but when the time comes I know that a great destiny awaits you." He'd heard the speech a million times from every person in his life who knew about his magic, who knew that underneath his unassuming appearance, he had the power to change the world around him at will, to defy basic physical laws on a whim.

When he was young it was all very exciting for him, that promise that had been made with his birth. Of course when he realized that his 'gift' was not something easily accepted by most, and needed to remain hidden, he retreated into himself. After years of being told his magic was a gift, and in the same breath reminded that he must keep it a secret, left him confused and often quite depressed.

So, finally after years of not knowing what to do with his life until his 'great destiny' arrived, it finally dawned on him; a way to make a life for himself in the real word and still use his magic. He had studied herbal remedies in school with Gaius, of course he just assumed that was a cover for him magical training, since the majority of his classes consisted of him learning how not to blow things up with his mind. Now, however, he thought back to the few lessons he had about actual herbal remedies and though perhaps that was it. He went walking through the city that day with the vague purpose of figuring out how to make this happen when he stumbled across a slightly run down abandoned store front. _This is it, _he thought, it suddenly clicked. He could see it as if it was a vision of his future ( a power he had yet to actually master regrettably), and soon set things into motion that led to the opening of 'Emersons Herbal Remedies' a local oddity that quickly gained popularity through word of mouth and rumors of 'miracle cures' that could be purchased there.

Of course the herbs themselves often did very little of the actual thing they were advertised to, though occasionally when someone came in with an easily cured ailment Merlin would just give them a vial of whatever leaves or roots he knew would do the trick. But occasionally he got the extreme case. Someone with cancer, or a couple that couldn't conceive. Then he got to do some real magic. Suffice to say it was those days that he knew that he had made the right choice.

But, for Merlin, even the occasional thrill of saving lives still often felt somehow empty after awhile. He knew it shouldn't be.

"Why can't I just be satisfied with this" Merlin almost whined to Gaius one day, "I mean seriously, I just cured a 6 year old boy of leukemia. That alone should be enough for anyone to feel they've done enough for a lifetime!"

"That's just the thing I'm afraid Merlin," Gaius responded, "You have still not seen your true destiny. When you do you will know."

"Oh, that again" scoffed Merlin, "can't you give me a teeny-tiny hint, I mean do you even know what it is yourself."

"Merlin…"

"Yeah, yeah I know… it's just, I'm tired of waiting around for some big revelation, at least if I knew where to look…"

"Merlin, you must simply follow your instincts, you are already on the path, for there is no other path for you to take."

So Merlin continued waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

Until last night. It was as if his blood got just a degree warmer, like the wind suddenly changed direction before a storm. Something was coming. He knew it.

And so he sat awake that night eyes wide and wild looking around his room for a flash of light, or glimmering portal to his promised future, or a great flashing arrow saying 'look here'. It never came, and so that morning, blood still thrumming in his veins he practically raced down the stairs from his apartment to the shop below, swung the door open and stood on the sidewalk tapping his foot impatiently. After about 30 minutes glaring into the grey light of the overcast day he almost was ready to just give up. He sighed, resigned to continuing his wait. _It's already been 26 years, I can wait a little bit longer, what's the rush anyway, _he lied to himself and went about the doldrums of his usual opening routine. Dust the counter, count the till, open the blinds, check the mail. _Junk, junk, junk, bill, junk, junk…_ he paused at an official looking envelope. _From Pendragon Int'l blah blah blah, land acquisition, blah blah blah, development opportuinity, blah blah blah, 90 days, blah blah blah… _It took several moments before he was able to carve though the corporate gibberish, to realize what he was reading

"GAIUS THEY ARE GOING TO TEAR DOWN THE SHOP!"

"What, slow down boy." He replied around a bite of his breakfast.

"Gaius, I got a letter this morning from the Pendragon corporation, you remember I used to work for them, but that guy, the one who was only there because his father was the CEO, was a prat and I couldn't stand to work for him anymore. Well anyway, apparently the prat has now taken over the company and decided to continue to make my life hell by buying the land where the shop is and he apparently want to tear it down for some 'community development project' which I'm sure is just a euphemism for strip mall."

"Oh my..." was all Gaius could manage to reply.

"Yeah and get this, 90 days, they give me 90 days to completely reassess my life! I live here for Christ sakes!"

"Well what do you plan-"

"What do I plan to do?" Merlin interrupted, "I'm going to that office and I'm going to the top floor, and I'm going to give Arthur Pratdragon a piece of my mind!"

"Merlin, please try not to do anything too rash." But he had already hung up .

As he ran up the street to catch a cab, swinging his jacket over his shoulders as he went, his blood was boiling, not in anticipation of his great destiny now, but rather in anticipation of punching Arthur Pratdragon right in the face.


End file.
